Houseguest
by trizfores
Summary: When Draco Malfoy's life false apart, and he has nowhere else to run to, he goes to Hermione Granger for help. Will she accept him with open arms after their differences and everything they've been through? DMHG
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer - I own nothing! I'm just borrowing from J.K. Rowling!

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><p>Chapter 1<p>

Draco Malfoy's jaw dropped as he stared in shock at his father, not believing what he just heard. "You're joking right?" he asked his father who was sitting in front of him in the family parlor. He turned his attention towards his mother, who was also seated across from him. "Please tell me he's joking!"

"I'm afraid this is not joke, Draco," Lucius Malfoy stated firmly. "Like I said earlier, I have had enough of your childish and playboy antics. After Hogwarts, you've been spending your trust fund left and right, gallivanting around like there's no worry in the world. I would've at least liked to see you try and invest it somewhere wisely."

"I did!" Draco interjected.

"A strip bar for you and your friends isn't an investment, most especially when you tell them everything is on the house. Not to mention it's only been open to your friends, and yourself. Not even the normal man could afford to walk in and become a customer," Lucius argued as he fisted his hand on his beloved snake cane.

"It's called _exclusivity,_" Draco argued tightly. "It's exactly the same as you and that bloody cigar club of yours!"

"Don't test me, Draco! You ran that club to the ground, along with your trust fund," Lucius growled. "You already are walking a very thin line on your inheritance. You might lose it all to Zabini's son, and trust me, I'm not afraid to give it to him since I think that he rightfully deserves it more than you. He has proven himself worthy, and what of you?"

Richmond Zabini was currently the vice-president of Malfoy Global, and had been for a few good decades. Obviously he was Blaise Zabini's father, and right hand man to Lucius. Blaise on the other hand had been working for Malfoy Global since he had graduated from Woxford, with magna cume laude honors. He quickly made his way up the corporate ladder, and would soon eventually become vice president of the company when his father would step down and retire.

Draco and Blaise's friendship was no longer on good terms after Hogwarts. Their lives had obviously taken different paths as they had different priorities. It was Draco who told him to 'sod off' when he got tired of being compared to him by his own father.

"Now, now, dear," Narcissa Malfoy said as she patted her husband's hand. "We must remember you watch your blood pressure, darling."

"Instead of finishing university, you dropped out and became a… slacker. You're smart, Draco. You yourself could've graduated with an honorable title if you tried. If you actually even graduated, we wouldn't have this discussion. But no, you're too smart for your own good," Lucius continued to lecture his son. "You think I'm proud of you seeing your party pictures on the newspaper and society magazines? Wrong. It shows that you aren't deserving of anything, not to mention the fact that you are an embarrassment to the Malfoy name."

Draco's eyes narrowed at his father. Beneath them, he could feel the burning sensation of tears. He was always lectured of his failures from him. But this time, it had gone to the extreme. Draco felt more than hurt, but he refused to cry in front of his parents, most especially his father. If he did, no doubt, he would receive another hurtful lecture.

"I understand that everyone needed some time after the war, as we all did. However, I can no longer take it as an excuse anymore." Lucius shook his head, and sighed in disappointment. "We had your life planned out for you—a good one, and you just want to throw it all away?"

"And you call having an arranged marriage with Pansy Parkinson good?" Draco questioned back. "When the time comes, I'm not in hell going to marry her!"

"Do not change the subject. This isn't about Parkinson, but you."

Draco shook his head and looked disappointedly at his father. "So stripping me of my magical powers and forcing me to live in the Muggle world is your solution?" He looked at his mother pleadingly. "I won't survive!"

"Sorry, Draco, but it really is for your own good," Narcissa said sadly. Part of her wanted nothing more than to help her son, but her husband had a point. Draco had to learn his lesson and prove himself worthy.

"It's really for your own good," Lucius stated. "If you think about it, a year in the Muggle world isn't as long as two years in university to graduate. A year is all you have to prove yourself, and I will deem you worthy of Malfoy Global."

"Screw you and screw this!" Draco said as he stood up and reached into his pocket for his wand. He then held it in his hands, and snapped it over his knee, throwing it aside, and started to walk away.

"Do you think you have anywhere else to go?" Lucius asked. "Now that you barely have any money left, I'm sure that your so-called friends will not even bother to talk to you. Without your precious money, you will finally see who your _real _friends are."

Draco stopped in his tracks, but didn't look over his shoulder. He knew his father's words of warning were true, but he refused to believe them.

"You have no one else to turn to," Lucius added. With the sound of the wooden door slamming, he knew his son was gone.

"I worry for him," Narcissa said as she watched her husband stand. "Can he really handle it?"

Lucius squatted down and picked up the two pieces of wood that used to be Draco's wand. "He's a Malfoy, he can handle it." In all honesty, he still believed that his son can do anything. He hadn't lost hope in him. He just didn't want to see his life waste away.

"What if something happens to him, Lucuis?" Narcissa asked worriedly.

"He will be alright, Cissy," Lucius promised as he clutched the two wooden pieces to his chest.

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><p>Much to Draco's dismay, his father was correct. He went to his friends for help. He explained the situation to them and asked if he could live with them, or even for some money. Goyle said he was busy, and had plans for the night, while Crabbe told him he had an eating contest he had to train for. Both of them closed the door on him and Draco knew that they weren't going to help him. He wasn't even going to try to go to his other 'so-called friends' as his father put. He had quickly come to the realization that he had no friends.<p>

Going to Blaise was obviously not an option. Draco still had much pride in him, and he wasn't about to swallow it. He ignored his former best friend's warnings, but he wasn't going to admit it to him.

"Here we are," the cab driver said stopping in front of a small home in at the outskirts of London

Draco snapped his fingers and expected his money from his pocket to appear in his hand. But it didn't appear. He knew then and there that he was already stripped of his magical powers. Cursing inwardly, he reached into his pocket and paid for his fare. As soon as he stepped out of the cab, and retrieved his two duffel bags, the night skies started to pour heavily.

"Fuck this!" he swore, standing angrily on his feet as the cab drove away. The night had gotten from bad to worse. He held on tightly to the front of his black leather jacket, and made his way towards the house.

Upon reaching the porch, he didn't hesitate to stop and think before ringing the doorbell. All he wanted was to get indoors, where it was warm. Hopefully, there was food since he hadn't eaten in hours.

Finally, when the door opened, he said, "Hello, Granger."

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><p>AN – Here we are. You know what to do my lovelies. <strong>Review!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer - I own nothing! I'm just borrowing from J.K. Rowling!

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

Hermione Granger's eyes widened in surprise as she stood at the open door. She was most definitely shocked to see Draco Malfoy standing at her door. "Malfoy!" she gasped.

"Nice outfit," Draco commented seeing her in her light pink unicorn pajamas. "Aren't you going to let a poor bloke in before he freezes his arse off in the rain?"

Hermione frowned slightly, seeing that he was slightly chattering. He was correct, she had to let him in, regardless of who he was. He did look somewhat pitiful anyhow. "What the bloody hell are you doing walking out in the rain?" she snapped as she stepped aside, allowing him to walk in. "And how did you find out where I lived?"

Draco let the duffel bags slip off his shoulders as he let them drop to the floor near the door, and hugged himself tightly. "Do you think that I planned to stand out in the rain? And I do have my connections at the Ministry. All I did was ask for your address. Are we going to play twenty questions or are you going to be an impeccable host, and feed me? I'm starving, Granger?"

"Impeccable host my arse, Malfoy. You're the one that comes knocking at my door unannounced. Your arrogance astounds me," she hissed as she shook her head. "I'll let you get dressed into some dry clothes, not because I don't want you to get sick, because I don't care if you do. I don't want you to leave a water stain on my living floor. I will make some chicken noodle soup and you'd better get out of here later on. Whatever your problems are, Malfoy, I want nothing of it." Without another word, she stomped away, making her way towards the kitchen.

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><p>Draco sighed as he looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror and ran his fingers through his hair. He prayed and hoped that Granger wouldn't force him out of her house later on. There was nowhere else for him to go, no one else to run to. Aside from the last two thousand pounds that he had in his wallet, he was truly at a loss.<p>

"It'll be ready in a minute," Hermione told him as she looked over her shoulder when he walked in. "Take a seat if you want to."

Draco sat himself down one of the three chairs around the small dining table that was a few steps away from the kitchen. He looked around noticing that the kitchen and dining area was one room, with the living room behind the wall. He also remembered seeing stairs leading upstairs, and wondered not only how many bedrooms the house had, but how people managed to live in such a small place, a family no less.

Malfoy Manor had been his home his entire life. Even the bachelor pad that he rarely used was grander than Hermione's home. He only used it when he had a woman that he was shagging for the night, other than that, it was his family home.

As Draco continued to look around, he noticed many unfamiliar things, concluding that they were some sort of Muggle appliance or electronic. The only ones he knew of were the ones that the magical world adapted to years ago—the television with its other components such as the DVD player and the computer with internet. Another was the cellular phone, which he obviously couldn't live without, keeping in contact with his friends when they would have plans to party and whatnot. Perhaps though, it had changed as he has turned his off a few hours back, not wanting to hear from his parents or anyone for that matter.

"Here," Hermione said placing the bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of him along with a bowl, then pouring him an ice cold glass of instant punch. "Eat while it's still hot."

Draco nodded his thanks and watched her as she sat across from him. "Have you eaten your dinner?" he asked.

"I did," she replied softly. "I usually eat at six or seven and around this time, I'm asleep."

"I… apologize if I caused you any inconvenience," he said uncomfortably. He really wasn't one for apologizing, but the hour was indeed late as it was half passed ten. As he started to eat his dinner, he noticed that it was palatable. Better than anything he could cook himself because he really couldn't cook at all. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"No, I was actually reading." Hermione watched him intently as he avoided eye contact and stared at his soup as he stirred it. She could tell that his mind was on something, and his appetite probably lost. "Why are you here, Malfoy?" she finally asked.

Draco closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. What else was there to say? He had to tell her the truth. "As punishment for me being a slacker, as my father puts it, they've decided that I live in the Muggle world, without magic, and learn how to cope by myself for about a year, and get a job and all. I have to prove myself worthy of my soon to be inheritance, if not, it goes to Zabini. My father said it was easier than me finishing university," he explained, and looked directly at her. "Honestly, I think it's a load of shit if you ask me."

"They seriously did that?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"I'm here aren't I?" Draco snapped. When he suddenly realized his actions, he groaned and apologized. "I'm sorry, I'm just really mad at the moment. It was wrong of me to snap at you, especially when I came here for your help." He was so overwhelmed with emotions that he also felt the familiar burning of tears beneath growing beneath his eyes.

Hermione didn't say anything, but just nodded and allowed him to continue.

"All I have is what I have on me, and that's about two thousand quid left from my trust fund. I have to get a job but I've never lifted a finger in my life. I don't have money, I don't have anything." Draco said shakily. "I didn't know where else to go and no one else to run to. Please, Granger…" Suddenly, he just broke out in sobs, and buried his face in his hands.

There was no denying that Hermione started to feel sorry for him. He seemed so desperate, so lost. She had never seen him in such an emotional state, even during the war. Feeling uncomfortable seeing him in such a manner, she stood up silently and walked away.

After sobbing for a good number of minutes, Draco's sobs eventually ebbed away. He sniffled as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand. When he looked up, he noticed that Hermione was gone. Sighing in defeat, he knew that she wasn't going to help him. Why would she? After the way he had treated her all those years?

Draco slowly trudged to the front door, deep in thought as he tried to figure out what he was going to do. Nothing came to mind. He stared out the window and noticed that it was still raining hard. He shook his head and put on his jacket and picked his bags up. When he was about to reach for the knob, he heard Granger call him.

"Malfoy?" Hermione questioned with a frown as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. In her hands she held the towel that he had used earlier, a blanket, and a pillow.

"Thanks for dinner, Granger, but I know when I'm not wanted," Draco said softly with a single nod.

"Ignore what I said earlier. I know you wouldn't be here if you had nowhere else to go. And I'm not going to kick you out in the street in this weather." she said. "I think it's best that we call it a night, and allow you to sleep on things. I'm sure things will be best figured out when you're emotions aren't controlling you. Follow me," she said as she nudged her head to the side and turned on her feet.

Draco followed and soon found himself in a very small room after walking through a door behind the stairs. All it had was a sofa bed, along with a desk and a chair. Near the door, stood a single cabinet, which was really meant for one person. The walls were decorated with a beige color that seemed to have darkened and aged over time. There was only one window which was small, and couldn't be opened. Above at the center of the ceiling, was a single florescent light that lit everything up. Over all, the size of the room was small, much smaller than the bathroom he had back at the manor.

"This is the guest room," Hermione explained as placed the pillow and blanket on the sofa bed. The towel, she hung at the back of the chair to dry. "I know it isn't much, but… I really haven't moved into my parents' bedroom, and still stay in my old room," she admitted sadly.

"No, it's fine." Draco remembered that her parents' had died, becoming targets of Voldemort. She didn't have to explain herself to him.

"But I'm sure this is better than actually living in a cupboard like Harry did when he lived with his Muggle relatives, the Dursleys," Hermione stated.

Draco could only nod. Potter slept in a cupboard?

"Is there anything you need?" Hermione asked as she walked towards him.

With a shake of his head, he answered, "No, this is more than enough."

"Sleep well, Malfoy," Hermione told him, before leaving him alone.

Draco placed his bags next to the closet, too tired to unpack. He stared at the sofa bed and wondered if he was going to get any sleep. It looked very much uncomfortable compared to his ultra king-sized bed, with Egyptian cotton down sheets. When he heard the thunder outside, he thought it that it was better than nothing. Least he would be warm away from the cruel weather.

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><p>AN – Poor Draco, our little lost pup. <strong>Review!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer - I own nothing! I'm just borrowing from J.K. Rowling!

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><p>Chapter 3<p>

Hermione hummed to herself as she finished crisping up some bacon, along with scrambled eggs, and toast for breakfast. It was a habit of hers that she hummed a certain tune—one that had a good fast beat to it, making her day start out right. This morning however, her humming was different. Every so often, she stopped, not being able to get Malfoy out of her mind.

Unbelievable is what last night still was to her. Draco Malfoy himself—her once mortal enemy at school came knocking at her door, helpless and asking for her help.

For years, since the beginning of her studies at Hogwarts, he always hurt her feelings and pushed at her buttons the wrong way. Of course Hermione was always ready to fight back, unafraid of giving him what he truly deserved, whether it was a hex or a slap on the cheek. But towards the end of the war, things had changed when his father had started to see the error in his ways by following Voldemort. The older Malfoy had quickly changed sides and joined the Order. The assaults died down, but there were no apologies. It was very awkward, and neither talked to each other unless they had to.

Even though the Malfoys changed sides, and proved their loyalties for good in the end, not many people believed that they were good, still seeing them as criminals. Regardless of Albus Dumbledore's belief in them, some Order members kept to the same opinion. One of them being one of her best-friends and also ex-boyfriend, Ronald Weasley. He still saw them as the evil death eater family. His badgering and complaining about them never stopped. Hermione on the other hand believed that there change was really for the good. Without Lucius' vital information, they might not have won the war.

"The noises you've been making woke me," Draco yawned as he stood at the door. "It's bloody five-thirty in the morning, Granger! You could wake the dead with all the noise you've been making."

Hermione turned to see him wearing nothing but a pair of sky blue boxer shorts. For a second her jaw gaped at the sight that was in front of her. Malfoy had one fine body to match with his looks. Yes, she did find him very handsome, but with an ugly personality like his, she never found him attractive at all. "Sorry, this is an old house," she said, turning to the sink when she knew she was gawking at him. "The walls are thin, and aren't exactly noise proof. "Orange juice or coffee?"

"Coffee, and lots of it. Sugar and cream." Draco sat himself down on a chair and groaned. Not only was it too early for him to be awake, but his body ached, having fallen a few times off the sofa bed. If his body ached because of _certain_ strenuous activity, then it would be an entirely different story.

"There's always more where that came from," Hermione said as she handed him a very large mug of coffee similar to her own. It was very hard for her to try and not stare at his defined chest. "Like you, I need my caffeine."

Draco frowned behind his mug, seeing her wear those unicorn pajamas. "What's with you and your hideous pajamas?" he asked as they started eating. They slightly big on her, and was something he thought that only little kids could wear. Apparently, he thought wrong. It looked downright awful along with her frizzy hair, making her look all the more silly. "You're not five anymore, you know?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed at him. "I happen to like my cute pajamas, thank you very much!"

"Alright, don't get your knickers in a twist!" Draco exclaimed, raising his hands up. "Why are you up so early anyhow?"

"Unlike some people, I have to work."

"I thought office hours started at nine or something."

"For most. But for me, I own a little cupcake store and do most of the work. Baking takes time, and I have to have a few batches of little cupcakes ready before the store actually opens," Hermione explained.

"You _own _a cupcake store?" Draco questioned.

Hermione nodded. "It's just a commute away from here. Nothing too fancy really. Just a quaint little thing that I started out about a year ago. I saved up whatever I could as I worked for a popular bakery near Harrods. I always wanted to go on my own, having my own business and all."

"You were always an independent one, Granger," Draco said softly, feeling disappointed with himself. He felt a little jealous that she had actually accomplished something, while he on the other hand seemed to accomplish nothing.

"You can do well, Malfoy, if you just try," she told him.

Draco said nothing and continued on with his breakfast. He didn't want to try, and believed that others could work for him. That was his belief for many years. Now, everything was all fucked up and he had to try just like everyone else. He had to get a job somewhere and actually work.

"Look, Malfoy, you can stay here until you learn how to get on your feet," Hermione started. "I'm not going to charge you for rent or anything, as you really need to save as much as you can to be able to rent a decent flat in the city. All I ask is that you pitch regularly for the food, agree?"

"You're letting me stay?" he asked in shock.

In reply, she nodded. "I may know how you feel, suddenly learning to fend on your own. I felt the same way when my parents died. It was life changing for me, and I learned a lot with the help of others. Up to now, I'm still learning. So now, I help you."

"Are you always wanting to help others? Is your goal in your after life to become a saint? Surely there's some part of you that wants to throw my poor arse out of here. Maybe it's your intention to make a fool and a mockery out of me to everyone, not just Scar-head and Weasel."

Hermione shook her head and looked at him solemnly. Did he really think so negatively towards others? Maybe thinking about worse case scenarios was a Slytherin trait. "I'm Gryffindor, of course I like helping others. Though tempting, there isn't a part of me that would throw you out. And I wouldn't want to make a fool of you, Malfoy. Truthfully, I'm sorry for what your parents did to you. I may not understand how you fully feel about everything, but I will help you, believe me. I'm not going to put judgment on how you were in the past. It was different back then."

Draco's brows furrowed as he continued to shift in his seat all the more. He was truly being nice to him, and he wasn't used to such niceness, with no strings attached.

"But don't push me the wrong way, Malfoy! I won't hesitate to slap you again."

Draco saw Granger smirk, and smirked back. Even though it sounded like a joke, he knew she was dead serious.

"Well, I think I should get ready for work then," Hermione spoke as she stood up with her empty plate and glass. "I'm sure you can take care of yourself without me. Might I suggest you look for a job sooner than later—browse the classifieds in the paper or even the internet. I'll keep a look out of certain things around the area of my shop if there's anything."

"You're leaving me?" Draco asked with nervousness.

"Yes. There's some frozen food you can easily heat up. If not, there are a few numbers on the fridge door, and some money in the small box next to the phone over there," she replied pointing to the living room. "I—"

"You can't leave me!" Draco said in panic as he stood up abruptly from his chair. "I'll starve! I don't know how to cook, period! And the way I hear it, it's Muggle men that deliver the food, and not owls. I mean what if it's a weirdo or someone carrying some bloody gun. I don't have my wand, and I can't perform magic at all. And looking for a job… I don't even know where to begin. You can't leave me!" He was more than desperate. He was actually frightened.

Hermione looked at Malfoy wide eyed. She had never seen him so flustered, scared, and panicky. Even during the final battle, she remembered him never losing his cool so to speak. But the Malfoy in front of her seemed as if he was going to break down again with his entire world crumbling down.

"Please," he pleaded with more desperation in his voice than earlier.

Hermione thought for a moment, before giving in to his pleas. She really didn't have much of a choice. "Just so you know, the people that work for me and help me out in the store are my childhood friends. They are Muggles, and know everything about our world because I hide nothing from them. So I don't want to hear you complaining about Muggle this and Muggle that, understood?"

"Yeah," Draco nodded, feeling very relieved.

"I'll be ready in a half hour. And remind me sometime to teach you how to use the microwave," Hermione shouted over her shoulder as she left the kitchen.

"A micro—what?" Draco asked aloud, only to hear the closing of a door. Alone, he thought about waking up every morning at an ungodly hour, and go to work with her. He detested the thought of it, but he had to learn how to live with it.

His first day, cut off from everything, was already a living hell.

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><p>AN – Poor Draco? Yes or no? <strong>Review!<strong>


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